The problem of grounded theory

Grounded theory (in some form or other) is a standard method of social science research and widely accepted as valid by researchers, university teachers and authorities in this field. As Bryant and Charmaz (2010: 1) confirm, the method „...is currently the most widely used and popular qualitative research method across a wide range of disciplines and subject areas‟. They further claim that its extensive use in „specific practice professions‟ has led to „significant advances‟ in those fields and that „it is clearly “a good thing”‟ (ibid). This paper examines grounded theory in terms of this contrast between the inductive approach it espouses and the hypothetico-deductive method, typified by Popper (in for example Popper (1992)), which is the basis of CIS‟s work. The paper draws heavily on my review of The Sage Handbook of Grounded Theory edited by Bryant and Charmaz (2010), published in Higher Education Review (Pratt, 2011).

Citation:
Pratt, John. (2012) The problem of grounded theory. University of East London, Centre for Institutional Studies..